Assam-Meghalaya Accord: Six of the 12 sectors along their 885-kilometer border have been partially addressed in a 50-year-old border dispute between Assam and Meghalaya.
On Tuesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K. Sangma inked a “historic” agreement for the closure of six contested sectors in the first phase of the process. The agreement was signed in New Delhi in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah.
Draft of the Assam-Meghalaya accord was signed in January
The agreement was based on a draught resolution signed on January 29 by the two states. Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pillangkata, and Ratacherra are the six disputed sectors of Assam’s Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), and Cachar districts, as well as Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi, and East Jaintia Hills districts.
In June 2021, the two states agreed to a “give-and-take” policy to begin the process of resolving the border dispute by forming three regional committees each. The draught resolution proposed partitioning the disputed 36.79 sq km of territory into six areas of difference between the two States, based on the suggestions of the regional panels. While Assam will receive 18.51 square kilometers of the contested land, Meghalaya will receive the remaining 18.28 square kilometers.
With the signature of the accord, Mr. Shah claims that around 70% of the inter-State boundary has been dispute-free. “In the near future, we will remedy the situation in the six additional places.” “On behalf of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji and the Government of India, I congratulate both sides,” he said.
Mr. Shah praised the two Chief Ministers’ “political determination” and expressed confidence that the northeast will be free of interstate boundary conflicts in the near future. Assam has border conflicts with Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland, in addition to Meghalaya. Between 1963 and 1972, all of these States were formed out of Assam, two of which began as Union Territories.
Mr. Sarma praised Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah for their “guidance in attaining this success,” and thanked them for their “advice in achieving this feat.” “We hope to resolve the remaining six areas’ conflicts quickly,” he said. The border solution, according to Mr. Sangma, was the outcome of collaboration between the two State governments. Mr. Sarma was appreciated for his cooperation with the Meghalaya administration.
People in numerous villages in the contested sectors, meantime, were protesting the boundary deal. They stated that the regional committees did not provide them with enough opportunities to submit their cases.
There was no give-and-take, according to Assam Congress MLA Nandita Das, who represents the Boko Assembly constituency, which includes three of the six “settled” contested regions. “It was merely delivered; there was no response from Assam.” Meghalaya has been occupying all the contested sectors, according to the constitutional boundaries and the Survey of India map,” she stated.